Advantages

Provides feedback for group dynamics
Have all students grade each other to create an average and understanding of group dynamics
Students who work in groups generally like their classes more, grading process is important
Grade to a set standard and not as a comparison to other members
Consider using with a student contract of expectations for the content and the way they interact with each other
Using activities that cause others to rely on group members as well as come together to reach a consensus helps groups function
Have students create a plan for completing project and assess progress towards goals
Makes a project grade more equitable - not every member gets the same group evaluation grade but they receive the same project grade
Use with a reflective piece that shows big understandings each person takes away from the project. Will show level of engagement and interaction of student during the work process
Can grade improvement in process over time
Can use open-ended questions such as: What went well/not so well and why? What have you learned from the experience? What can you do differently the next time? How did you support the process? How did you contribute to the project?
Have students provide artifacts - For ex., "Took a leadership role in the group" would require a concrete example of where they did this.

Disadvantages

Not all assessments are perfect and may not assess specific aspects of group dynamics
Can have students be "too critical" or "too nice" - using an average helps with this
Be clear. For example, be sure you identify what "outstanding group interaction" is
May lead to conflicts or competition
Does not adequately show contributions in a group. Inadequate work on behalf of a group member may not be seen. Does not always see the group dynamics.
Grading of "work logs" can be tiresome and difficult to assess (many times I require 2 good sentences each day of accomplishments of individual members in the group). May not be reliable.

Examples: